With a Little Bit of Help
by NCISgirl1527
Summary: With a little bit of help anything is possible. Having friends willing to help you even when you don't think you need it is also rather useful. It's Valentine's day and Stella gets an email. What does it say? Where does the lead? Who is helping? Smacked!


_**Hey it is me. I really wanted to do a Valentine's Day Smacked fic but I did not quite make it in time. Either way here it is now. Hope that you enjoy it.**_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine except for Katharine.**_

_**Spoilers: Pay Up, Epilogue, All Access, Death House, the whole Compass Killer thing, Grounds for Deception, The Thing About Heroes…I think that is it**_

It was Valentine's Day. Stella grimaced. She did not like Valentine's Day all that much since Frankie and Drew. She sat down at her desk and turned on her computer so she could check her email. Scanning through all the spam e-mails, she noticed one from Aiden's sister Katharine. Stella opened it and found a like as well as note from Katharine.

_Dear Stella,_

_I know how you don't like chain mail but I thought you should see this. It is really sweet..._

_Katharine_

Stella raised one eyebrow. It had taken her months to keep the team from sending her chain mail but she had finally done it…give or take. However she decided to continue reading it.

_When a boy is quiet ... millions of things are running in his mind._

FLASHBACK—6 Months Ago

Stella was bent over several shards of glass from the diner. Mac was working across the table from her working with more of the glass. This case had hit them all hard but none more so than Mac. He had not stopped working since the attack.

"Mac who do you think did this?" Stella asked him.

"I don't know Stella. I don't know," Mac told her sadly. Then he was silent again thinking about all that had happened and wondering if they were still in danger.

END FLASHBACK

_When a boy is not arguing...he is thinking deeply._

FLASHBACK—4 Years Ago

"I'm a big girl Mac," Stella told him, "if it's okay with you I will just go back to my apartment."

Mac looked at her for a long moment. She thought she was ready to face it. He was pretty sure that she could but he didn't want her to this soon. He wanted her to come with him so that he would know that she was safe from anyone who would want to hurt her. He sighed internally. He didn't like the idea of her going back there alone, but as she said she was a big girl…

END FLASHBACK

_When a boy looks at you with eyes full of questions ... he is wondering how long you will be around._

FLASHBACK—3 Months Ago

Stella was sitting at home on her couch. It had been a tough case for them and not especially pleasant. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. She walked across the room and opened the door. Mac stood there.

"Hey Mac," she said letting him into her apartment.

"Hello Stella," he said as she closed the door behind him.

"I was just about to sit down to dinner do you want something?" Stella asked him.

"Yea sure," Mac agreed automatically.

Stella walked into the kitchen and reheated some spaghetti and poured a jar of sauce into a pot on the stove. She was standing over the stove stirring the pot when she realized that Mac was standing there watching her. His eyes were full of emotions that he usually never let show: pain, worry, concern…

"Mac what's up?" Stella asked him.

"I was…" Mac started, "You could have died today."

Stella looked at him. She could say that she could die everyday, but that wasn't what he need. "Yes I could have," Stella said walking over to Mac, "but I didn't."

"Not today," Mac agreed, "but how long to do we have until one of us is killed again? First Aiden…then Jess…and all of us have had close calls…"

"I can't speak for anyone else but you are going to be stuck with me for a long time, Taylor," Stella told him and Mac smiled.

END FLASHBACK

_When a boy answers 'I'm fine' after a few seconds ... he is not at all fine._

FLASHBACK—4 Months Ago

Stella stood in the doorway to Mac's office. She knew that the Hollis Echart case had been extremely painful to him. So many of the team had been at risk and so many of the people in the city as well. However Stella knew that what had been most painful to him was bringing to bring Claire back up.

"Do you need something Stella?" he asked her.

"I just wanted to ask you how you were doing," Stella told him.

"Oh," Mac paused for a few seconds, "I'm fine."

"Mac I have known you for over a decade," Stella reminded him, "How are you really doing?"

"I'll be fine," Mac told her, "I just haven't talked about Claire is so long…to anyone…"

"If you ever need to talk," Stella told him, "I am here."

END FLASHBACK

_When a boy stares at you ... he is wondering why you are lying._

FLASHBACK—8 Months Ago

"I told you to stop working this case Stella," Mac told her.

"Mac this case is," Stella sighed. She had already put the guy on a ship to Cyprus so she had worked that case after he told her to stop. "It won't happen again."

Mac looked at her for a long moment then shook his head. He knew that she was lying to him. Maybe she wouldn't do it again on this case but it was likely that she would, and he knew that she would do it again on another case. That was how she worked.

END FLASHBACK

_When a boy lets you lay on his chest ... he is wishing for you to be his forever._

FLASHBACK

The sun was setting into the trees as Stella put away the remnants of their picnic. She and Mac had come to a lake on the out skirts of the city just to relax and have some fun. When Stella finished packing up the picnic she realized that Mac had laid back in the grass behind her. Gently he tugged her hand and pulled her back so that she to was lying down with her head resting on his chest. Together they watched the sunset and the moonrise

END FLASHBACK

_When a boy wants to see you everyday... he wants to be yours forever._

FLASHBACK

Stella looked up from her desk to see Mac standing there. "Mac," she told him, "you are supposed to not come into work on your day off. That is why they are called days off,"

"I'm going," Mac said holding his hands up in surrender. "I just wanted to see you and make sure everything was going okay."

"I can manage the lab for a day," Stella reminded him touched that he came into to see her on the day off even if it was only to check on check on the lab.

"I know," Mac told her, "Do you want to come to my place for dinner?"

"Sure," Stella told him, "I'll come over when I get off work."

"Alright," he told her smiling, "See you then."

END FLASHBACK

_When a boy says 'I love you' ... he means it._

FLASHBACK

Stella was in the hospital yet again and hooked up to several machines that were monitoring her condition. Mac sat next to her holding her hand.

"Why did you go into that warehouse without back up?" he asked her. "You knew the suspect was armed and dangerous. Jess and Danny weren't all that far behind you. If you had waited just a few minutes… Please do leave me Stell," he begged her unconscious form, "You keep me same. Without you I would have completely destroyed myself. I need you Stella, and I love you. Please don't leave me."

END FLASHBACK

_When a boy says 'I miss you' ... no one in this world can miss you more than that._

FLASHBACK

"Bonasera," Stella answered her phone.

"Hey Stella," Mac greeted her.

"Hey Mac," Stella replied happily, "What's up?"

"I just missed you and wanted to see how your conference was going," Mac told her.

Stella smiled even though he couldn't see it. "The conference is going great but the next session starts really soon so can I call you back in an hour or so?" she asked him.

"Of course," he told her, "I miss you."

"I miss you, too Mac," Stella replied, "talk to you later."

END FLASHBACK

_Life only comes around once make sure you spend it with the right person...._

Stella smiled at that. She was spending her life with the right person, maybe not in the capacity that the email implied but she was defiantly spending it with the right person.

_F__ind a guy…_

_Who calls you beautiful instead of hot..._

FLASHBACK

"Hey Stella," Danny called, "you look hot today."

Stella wheeled around to face Danny and preferably to smack him but Lindsey had already taken care of it and Danny was wincing. Stella winked at Lindsey. "Danny I would like to remember that I am you boss."

"Sorry Stell," he told her a little guiltily.

"Now go collect the bet money from Don," she teased him. He went crimson and walked away.

Stella also turned around but ran straight into Mac. "Sorry," she replied automatically.

"It's fine," Mac assured her as he bent down to pick up the papers he had dropped.

She bent down to help him as well. When they both stood up she handed him the papers she had. "There you go," she told him.

"Thanks," Mac said, "and Stella…"

"Yes?" Stella replied.

"You look beautiful today," Mac told her.

"Thanks," Stella said blushing a little.

END FLASHBACK

_Who calls you back when you hang up on him…_

FLASHBACK

"Mac I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Stella told him angrily glaring at the cell-phone she was on because she could not glare at him.

"I know that Stella," he told her, "I am just saying that I didn't want you to get hurt."

"I am a cop just like you," Stella yelled into the phone, "I took the same oath that you and Don did. Why am I any different from the two of you? You know what I don't care." Stella slammed her cell phone shut and immediately regretted it. She hated fighting with Mac.

Suddenly her phone rang. "Bonasera," she answered.

"Stella," Mac said cautiously, "could we continue the conversation a little more pleasantly."

"Of course," Stella said, "sorry about hanging up I just…I don't know. My temper got the better of me."

"Hey don't worry about it," Mac told her, "It's all good."

END FLASHBACK

_Who will stay awake just to watch you sleep...._

FLASHBACK

Mac and Stella were sitting on the couch in her living room waiting for the ball to drop and signify the start of a new year. They watched as the ball crash to the ground. Then they turned to each other.

"Happy New Years Stella," he told her.

"Happy New Years Mac," she replied a little tiredly, "It's late. Do you want to just stay here tonight?"

"Sure thanks," Mac replied going to get the blankets that he knew she kept just so someone could sleep on the couch.

"Don't even think about it," she called after him, "The couch is uncomfortable. We are both adults we can share my bed."

"Alright," Mac agreed.

Stella changed into her pajamas in the bathroom, then crawled into bed as Mac went to change. By the time Mac got out of the bathroom Stella had fallen asleep. He got into bed next to her but he did not go to sleep. He stayed awake for a little while just to watch her sleep.

END FLASHBACK

_Wait for the guy who kisses your forehead..._

FLASHBACK

Stella was not happy about the way the last case ended. She hate that Drew had been the 333 Stalker and he had used her to get closes to Mac. She reached Mac's office and tapped gently on the door.

"Come in," Mac called.

Stella opened the door and stepped into the office closing the door behind her. For a moment she looked at Mac, assuring herself that he was really all right…physically. "Mac I am so sorry," Stella told him, "this is completely my fault. If I hadn't gone out with Drew—"

"Stella," Mac said, stopping her apology, "This is not your fault."

"He pick the easiest member of the team to get close to," Stella pointed out.

"Stella he did not pick the easiest member to get close to," Mac told her standing up and walking around in front of the desk, "He pick the member of the team that would hurt me most to see hurt."

Stella took in what he said but did not know how to respond. "He could have killed you," she told him with a slight falter in her voice."

Mac stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. He wasn't usually one for public displays of emotion but this was Stella. "Hey Stella," Mac told her, "I'm not dead. Everything turned out just fine."

"Are the only guys who like me psychopaths?" Stella asked Mac, her head resting on his chest.

"No," Mac told her, "Frankie was liked you before he went psychopath. Drew didn't want to be with you because he cared about you and that is his stupid mistake. Stella you are wonderful and any guy would be lucky to be with you."

"Do you mean that?" Stella asked him.

"I do," Mac told her kissing her gently on the forehead.

END FLASHBACK

_Who wants to show you off to the world when you are in your sweats…_

FLASHBACK

Stella was in the dressing room pulling on her well-worn sweats when Mac came in. "Don't you love the cases that involve dead models," Stella said sarcastically.

"Oh yea," Mac replied equally sarcastically.

"Actually it is not the victim that gets to me," Stella told him, "it's interviewing all her competition because they all ways look at you, Don, or Danny like you are the most amazing thing in the world and they just sort of glare at Lindsey and I because we are not models and never will be."

"Aw, come on, " Mac told her, "You could be a model."

"Right," Stella replied sarcastically. She pretended the row of lockers was a catwalk and walked down it and back modeling her sweats.

"Bravo," Mac told her, "we should call Danny and Don over so they to can take in the beauty.

"No I think that was my last show for a while," Stella replied firmly and they both laughed.

END FLASHBACK

_Who holds your hand in front of his friends..._

FLASHBACK

Mac, Don, Danny, and Stella were sitting at a booth in their favorite diner. They were not eating just drinking a little. It was the one year anniversary of Aiden's death and they had decided to go out and drink to her memory and talk about her. Lindsey had opted out saying that it was something for those who knew Aiden and it was not her place to be. Hawkes and Sid both had other thinks that they need to do.

They were all exchanging stories about Aiden and laughing at some of them. Suddenly Danny asked the group at large, "Do you think Aiden would approve of Lindsey?"

Stella picked up on what Danny was asking but neither of the other two did. "I think that as a person Aiden would like Lindsey a lot," Stella told him. "I think that if Lindsey were to become your girlfriend and she was still alive she would be extremely jealous."

"You think so?" Danny asked.

"Yes," Don backed Stella up.

"She always liked you a lot," Stella told Danny, "She just never worked up the guts to ask you out because she was worried that you would reject her and it would ruin your friendship." Stella's hand started to shake a little remembering all the conversations she had had with Aiden regarding both Mac and Danny.

Mac reached out and wrapped his fingers around her hand to stop the shaking.

END FLASHBACK

_Who turns to his friends and says, 'That's her!!'_

FLASHBACK

A couple of Mac's Marine buddy's were in town for a few days and Mac had taken them down to the bar for a drink. Jethro was in the middle of describing a red headed woman who he had completely lost his heart to even after she left him.

"So Mac," Andrew said interrupting Jethro, "Are you with anyone special these day?"

"I don't have a girlfriend but my partner is a pretty great person," Mac told them.

"Tell us about her," Andrew encouraged.

"Well she is the strongest woman I have ever know. She is smart. She is funny. She cares about others," Mac explained, "she saved me after Claire was killed. If she hadn't been there I would still be in the hole I dug for myself."

"Sounds like a great girl," Jethro told him.

Suddenly the door to the bar opened and a woman walked in. "You want to meet her?" Mac asked his friends and they both nodded. "Hey Stella," he called beckoning her over to where they were.

"Hey Mac," Stella said cheerfully sitting down next to him.

"Andrew, Jethro, this is my partner Stella Bonasera," Mac said introducing the three of them and noting that Andrew looked incredibly jealous.

END FLASHBACK

_Who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares about you and how lucky he is to have you..._

FLASHBACK

Mac sat in the nook under the stairs. He could not face the world not today. It was the one-year anniversary of Claire's death. It could not find in himself to go be strong for other people when he couldn't be strong for himself. Suddenly there were footsteps on the stair, but they did not get off on any of the floors. They continued all the way down to the bottom where he was. This could mean only one thing.

As he suspected Stella rounded the corner of the stairs and came to sit down next to him. "How are you doing?" she asked him, her concern evident in her voice.

"I am fine," he replied automatically.

"Mac, you are hiding under the stairs," she reminded him gently, "you are not okay."

"I am fine," he told her forcefully, "leave me alone.'

"Mac I am not leaving you alone," she told him, "not today."

"Why do you do this Stell?" he asked her after a moment.

"Because I care about you," she told him.

"I'm and emotional mess and treat you really badly, but you don't give up on me," Mac said shaking his head. "I am so lucky that I have you Stella because if I didn't I would have completely destroyed myself and everyone around me."

END FLASHBACK.

_If you forward this email your true love will ask you out tonight._

Stella finished reading the email and looked at the last line. She did not believe in that sort of thing. She never had but on the other hand… What could it hurt? If she just sent it to Lindsey it could be past off as a friend showing a friend something cool. Stella shook her head.

Stella thought about exactly what her true love asking her out would mean. It would mean a lot of things. It would mean first of all admitting to the world that she fell in love with her boss and best friend. She had loved him for…she didn't actually know when exactly she fell in love with him, but it had been several years ago, and she had only just admitted to herself when she got back from Greece. Then she had gone and slept with Adam, which was not one of her finer moments. However if he asked her out it would mean that her feelings were reciprocated.

She looked at one of the very few pictures that she kept on her desk. It was a shot of her and Mac arm and arm at last year's 4th of July Party. Mac was a great guy. He was smart. He was sweet. He was kind… She could continue the list but why bother as she had learned, you cannot change who you love.

Suddenly her pager beeped telling her that she had a case. She stood up to leave but on second thought she looked at the email one more time. Sighing she typed in Lindsey's email and hit send. Then she left.

ONE CASE AND SEVERAL HOURS LATER—5:00

Stella was working on a report for the case they had just finished up. It had been a fairly open and shut case. The there was a knock on the office door. "Come in," Stella called not actually paying attention to who walked in the door.

"Hello Stella," Mac said as he stepped into the room. "Okay um…it's Valentine's Day you should not be alone in your office writing a report."

"Well being single tends to take the edge off of Valentine's Day," Stella pointed out.

"How long have we known each other?" Mac asked her.

"You want it in days, months, or years?" Stella returned.

"Um…" Mac said slowly.

"14 years, 4 months, 28 days," Stella told him.

"Right," Mac said amazed that she knew that, "I…You…I'm in love with you Stell. I don't know for how long, but I was to scared to tell you."

Stella's eyes widened. Mac was standing in her office telling her that he loved her. Stella pinched herself to make sure it wasn't a dream. It hurt…a lot. "I never thought I would hear you say that," Stella told him, "I love you too."

There was a was a silence and a pause before Stella stood up and wrapped her arms Mac. He returned that hug, pulling her closer to him. "Stella I love you but I don't want to see you hurt and I can be difficult when it comes to relationships," he told her.

"I know that Mac," Stella told him softly, "I've been there and watched all your relationships for the past 13 years."

"Okay," Mac said, "In that case do you want to…go out on a date with me?"

"That would be lovely. Let me go change in to my real cloths and lets go," Stella told him.

"Alright I need to get a few things out of my locker too," Mac said.

The walked to the locker room together and went to open their respective lockers, which were opposite each other. The opened them almost simultaneously and both froze. Stella stared for a moment at the dress that had appeared in her locker. Then she turned to Mac who was holding up a suit.

"That's a little creepy," Stella said pulling out the dress to find that it was indeed her size.

"A little but it's nice," Mac replied.

Stella changed into the dress as Mac changed into the suit when she was done she checked her hair in the mirror that was in her locker. Then she froze, again. She didn't keep a mirror in her locker. She took the mirror down (it's magnetic) and looked at the back of it. There was a short note:

**The dress is yours to keep. Mac can keep the suit. Hope you enjoy your first date. :-)**

It was not signed and Stella didn't recognize the handwriting but she just smiled and put the mirror back up. "You ready to go?" Mac asked her.

"Yep," she said turning around and closing her locker.

Mac's jaw dropped. Whoever had picked out Stella's dress deserved an award. The dress was red satin with thin straps over the shoulders and a beaded top. It looked beautiful on Stella. Granted he thought anything looked beautiful on Stella so… "Wow," he told her, "you look amazing."

"Thanks," she replied smiling, "you don't look too bad yourself."

He smiled and offered her his arm, and she took it. Together they walked out of the locker room and towards that doors that led out to the street.

--- --- ---

As soon as Mac and Stella were out on the street the silence was broken by a loud cheer from Lindsey. "It worked," she said happily as Katharine appeared out of the place where she had been, for lack of a more accurate term, hiding.

"Yes," Katharine said jumping up and down happily.

"What is going on?" Don asked as he and Danny appeared.

"Stella and Mac finally got together," Katharine explained.

"About time," Danny said.

"My thoughts exactly," Lindsey and Katharine said together.

_**He he. So Katharine and Lindsey were behind it from the start. Well not all of it. Mac and Stella were made for each other all on their own. Katharine and Lindsey just provided a poke (shove) in the right direction. Anyway please review. **_


End file.
